In electronic devices, such as a personal computer, a plurality of electronic substrates on each of which electronic parts are mounted, as well as a power supply which supplies these electronic substrates with electric power, are installed with a high density. Actuation of such an electronic device causes the electronic substrates and the power supply inside the electronic device to be exposed to intense heat. Thus, a large number of electronic devices employ a structure in which the electronic substrates and the power supply are cooled with cooling fans.
FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B schematically illustrates a first example of a cooling structure of a typical electronic device. FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram of a typical electronic device from a front view, and FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram of the typical electronic device from a side view. Here, in FIG. 7B, the left-hand side and the right-hand side of the figure are a front side and a rear side of an electronic device 800, respectively, and the upper side and the lower side of the figure are an upper side and a lower side of the electronic device 800, respectively. Further, with respect to each of units included in the electronic device 800, similarly, the left-hand side and the right-hand side of the figure are a front side and a rear side of the relevant unit, respectively, and the upper side and the lower side of the figure is an upper side and a lower side of the relevant unit, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the electronic device 800 includes a device air discharge unit 810, a device fan unit 820, a substrate mounting unit 830, a device air intake unit 840 and a power-supply air intake unit 850.
As shown in FIG. 7B, a power supply unit 860 and a power-supply fan unit 870 are provided behind the substrate mounting unit 830. Further, a device air intake opening 841 is provided at the front side of the device air intake unit 840, and a power-supply air intake opening 851 is provided at the front side of the power-supply air intake unit 850. Moreover, a plurality of electronic substrates (not illustrated) is mounted in the substrate mounting unit 830.
As shown in FIG. 7B, cooling inside the electronic device 800 is performed so as to be separated into a cooling route C for cooling the substrate mounting unit 830 (including the electronic substrates), and a cooling route D for cooling the power supply unit 860.
First, the cooling of the electronic substrates and the like inside the substrate mounting unit 830 is performed so as to follow the cooling route C in such a way as described below. That is, the drive of the device fan unit 820 causes outside air to flow into the device air intake opening 841 which is located at the front side of the electronic device 800. This outside air passes through the device air intake unit 840, flows from the lower side to the upper side of the substrate mounting unit 830, and flows out from the device air discharge opening 811 via the device discharge unit 810. In this way, the electronic substrates and the like inside the substrate mounting unit 830 are cooled by causing the device fan unit 820 to take in outside air to the inside of the substrate mounting unit 830.
The cooling of the power supply unit 860 is performed so as to follow the cooling route D in such a way as described below. That is, the drive of the power-supply fan unit 870 causes outside air to flow into the power-supply air intake opening 851 which is located at the front side of the electronic device 800. This outside air passes through the power supply air intake unit 850, enters into the power supply unit 860, and flows out from the power-supply fan unit 870. In this way, the power supply unit 860 is cooled by causing the power-supply fan unit 870 to take in outside air to the inside of the power supply unit 860.
Further, a different example of a cooling structure of a typical electronic device will be described below. FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B schematically illustrates a second example of a cooling structure of a typical electronic device. FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram of a typical electronic device from a front view, and FIG. 8B is schematic diagram of the typical electronic device from a side view. Here, in FIG. 8B, just like in the description of FIG. 7B, the left-hand side and the right-hand side of the figure are a front side and a rear side of the electronic device 800A, respectively, and the upper side and the lower side of the figure are an upper side and a lower side of the electronic device 800A, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, the electronic device 800A is different from the electronic device 800 shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B in the respect that the electronic device 800A does not include the power-supply air intake unit 850. In this way, in order to reduce the height of the electronic device 800A itself, the electronic device 800A adopts a higher density installation than that of the electronic device 800. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8B, cooling inside the electronic device 800A is performed so as to be separated into a cooling route E for cooling the substrate mounting unit 830 and a cooling route F for cooling the power supply unit 860. The cooling route E is the same as the cooling route C of FIG. 7B. Meanwhile, in the cooling route F, differing from the cooling route D of FIG. 7B, the power-supply fan unit 870 takes in air outside of the rear side of the electronic device 800A, and discharges air to the same outside of the rear side thereof.
Further, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-237178 (PTL 1), there has been disclosed a technology in which a power supply unit including an air discharge fan is located behind a hard disk drive (HDD) unit.